Franklin Welsh Bowdon (February 17, 1817 - June 8, 1857) was an Alabama congressman (December 7, 1846, to March 3, 1851). Bowdon was born in Chester District, South Carolina, graduated from the University of Alabama in 1836, studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Talladega, Alabama. He was a member of the State house of representatives in 1844 and 1845 and was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Felix G. McConnell. He was reelected to the Thirtieth United States Congress and Thirty-first United States Congress. He was chairman of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds during the Thirty-first Congress.
He did not stand for reelection in 1850 and moved to Henderson, Rusk County, Texas in 1852, where he resumed his law practice. He died in Henderson and was interred in the City Cemetery. The town of Bowdon, Georgia was named after him due to the mistaken belief that it was in Alabama. He was the uncle of Sydney Johnston Bowie, who was an Alabama congressman from 1901 to 1907.
